Alias

To set up Alias Mystery, first choose which side of the game board you want to play on: the easier side with a shorter path or the more difficult side with a longer path. Place the three stacks of cards (levels 1, 2, and 3) into their corresponding holders next to the game board. Position the game pawn on the start space of the chosen main track. Finally, place the hourglass on the start space of its own track.

The objective of Alias Mystery is for your team to be the first to reach the finish space on the main game board track. You achieve this by taking turns explaining words and solving mysteries, earning points that allow your pawn to advance. The team that successfully navigates the entire track first wins the game.

During a turn, one player acts as the explainer, while the rest of the players try to guess. The explainer first checks the color of the space their pawn is on and draws a card from the corresponding colored stack. They hold the card with the 'mystery' side hidden from everyone, including themselves, revealing only the 'key' side to themselves. The player responsible for the hourglass flips it and moves it one space forward on its track. The explainer then begins explaining the words on the 'key' side of the card, following specific rules: no part of the word or its derivatives, no translations, and no descriptions of length, letters, or syllables. Players can skip words to save time. Each time the sand in the hourglass runs out, the hourglass is flipped and moved one space forward. Once all words on the card are explained or skipped, the hourglass is allowed to run out without further movement.

After the explanation phase, the explainer reveals the 'key' side of the card to all players. All players then work together to identify the three key words. On level 1 cards, each word box contains only one key word. On levels 2 and 3, word boxes contain other words in addition to the key word. The key words are related and help solve the mystery. Once the key words are identified, players try to guess the mysterious word that best fits. If a synonym is close enough, it can be accepted. For each correctly guessed word on the 'key' side, teams earn 1 point. For each mystery successfully solved, teams earn 3 points. However, teams also receive negative points based on the final position of the hourglass on its track. No points are awarded for skipped words or incorrect explanations, nor for incorrectly solved mysteries.

The game ends when a team's pawn reaches or passes the finish space on the main game board track. After the final round, teams calculate their total points, including any points gained from solving the last mystery and deducting points for time used. If a team's pawn reaches the finish space after this final calculation, they win the game. If no team reaches the finish, the mysteries remain unsolved, and the game continues with another round until a team wins.